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Wed, 04 Mar 2015 00:10:21 +0000enhourly1Ferguson brings the libertarians: Why a new coalition has everyone confusedhttp://www.salon.com/2014/08/19/ferguson_brings_the_libertarians_why_a_new_coalition_has_everyone_confused/
http://www.salon.com/2014/08/19/ferguson_brings_the_libertarians_why_a_new_coalition_has_everyone_confused/#commentsTue, 19 Aug 2014 18:22:00 +0000bzeffhttp://www.salon.com/?p=13751899One of the most misunderstood elements of American politics has to be the fact that legislative coalitions are very different from voting coalitions. The most obvious case in point is the erroneous assumption that the coalition that often forms around civil liberties, featuring elements of the most ideologically committed members of the left and the right, means that these groups are in agreement as to the goals they wish to obtain. It's not essential that everyone who signs on to a bill is doing so for the same reason, but it's vitally important that people not misinterpret the joint action as a sign that we are entering a moment of bipartisan kumbaya that will heal the nation's wounds and bring us together once and for all.

In the wake of Michael Brown's death and all that's followed, we are seeing this play out in what Jim Newell accurately described as a potential coalition of right and left on the demilitarization of the police. In this case it's the hardcore wingnuts at the Gun Owners of America joining in with the ACLU to demand an end to the Pentagon program that encourages police departments to buy surplus military equipment at bargain basement prices, both of whom have endorsed a bill by Democratic congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia to do just that. But it's important that we distinguish that the liberty concerns driving this particular joint endorsement are not coming from the same place or seeking the same end.

]]>http://www.salon.com/2014/08/19/ferguson_brings_the_libertarians_why_a_new_coalition_has_everyone_confused/feed/124Tear-gassing cops’ new opponent: Why Gun Owners of America wants reformhttp://www.salon.com/2014/08/18/tear_gassing_cops_new_opponent_why_gun_owners_of_america_wants_reform/
http://www.salon.com/2014/08/18/tear_gassing_cops_new_opponent_why_gun_owners_of_america_wants_reform/#commentsMon, 18 Aug 2014 15:04:00 +0000Jim Newellhttp://www.salon.com/?p=13749719Last Wednesday night may have marked a shift in U.S. policymaking attitudes. As the police in Ferguson, Missouri, just straight-up started arresting and tear-gassing and pointing their snipers and death tanks at everyone, all while wearing unnecessary and some might say counterintuitive tuff guy jungle-camo outfits, the nation seemed to collectively realize that this was insane. Why are suburban police departments armed to duel with Megatron in situations where they're supposed to be "keeping the peace"?

It, of course, wasn't the first instance of the growing trend of police militarization -- wherein local police departments are outfitted with hand-me-down goodies procured by the Defense Department, allowing the friendly local constable to warp into an expensive murder-robot sent on a mission to exterminate the scourge of jaywalkers. But the scene in Ferguson caught the public's eye to such an extent that politicians and officials -- the president, the attorney general, the speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader, Missouri politicians, and de facto libertarian leaders felt compelled to weigh in.

]]>http://www.salon.com/2014/08/18/tear_gassing_cops_new_opponent_why_gun_owners_of_america_wants_reform/feed/41“They’re trying to use the race card to move against guns”http://www.salon.com/2013/07/19/%e2%80%9cthey%e2%80%99re_trying_to_use_the_race_card_to_move_against_guns/
http://www.salon.com/2013/07/19/%e2%80%9cthey%e2%80%99re_trying_to_use_the_race_card_to_move_against_guns/#commentsFri, 19 Jul 2013 17:35:00 +0000jrayfieldhttp://www.salon.com/?p=13377436Larry Pratt, the executive director of Gun Owners for America, linked the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi to the shooting of Trayvon Martin, arguing that both are examples of the push for gun control.

“They’re trying to use the race card to move against guns,” Pratt said, speaking on Steve Malzberg's radio show about the outrage over the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial. “They really don’t want us walking around with a gun, able to defend ourselves.”

It doesn't matter whether it's in the U.S. or somewhere like Benghazi, Pratt continued, where “they withdrew armed guards protecting the diplomats in that town shortly before it was attacked.” They "just think being able to defend yourself is counter-productive."

Gun Owners for America is known for being the NRA's even more hardline gun lobby cousin, with Pratt previously saying that gun owners need to be prepared “to take on our government,” and warning that Obamacare is secretly masquerading as gun confiscation.

The New York Times reports that the group, led by Executive Director Larry Pratt, has been effectively targeting senators, particularly Republicans who have indicated that they are open to supporting things like universal background checks.

For example, Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who began working with Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for a deal on background checks, was pounded by calls and emails from constituents after the Gun Owners of America got involved.

Part of the group's increasing profile might come from its decision to remain outspoken against gun control in the days just after the Newtown school shootings - which led to newfound media exposure. At the time, the NRA and other gun lobby groups went into hibernation mode, while Pratt made comments like "Gun-free zones are like magnets for the monsters in our society."

]]>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/04/gun_owners_of_america_out_hardlines_the_nra/feed/9Do stand your ground laws increase crime?http://www.salon.com/2013/01/09/do_stand_your_ground_laws_increase_crime/
http://www.salon.com/2013/01/09/do_stand_your_ground_laws_increase_crime/#commentsWed, 09 Jan 2013 17:29:00 +0000ahalperinhttp://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13165961Recently Salon posted on so-called stand your ground laws (sometimes known as castle doctrines), which increase the circumstances under which it is permissible for a gun owner to use lethal force against people he regards as a threat. Recently a report by Texas A&M economists Mark Hoekstra and Cheng Cheng found that these laws increase the number of homicides without acting as a crime deterrent. These laws were hotly debated after unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin was fatally shot in Sanford, Fla., last year.

Salon reached out to NRA and Gun Owners of America for comment. The latter, which considers itself the "no compromise" gun group (as opposed to those delicate tulips at the NRA), took on the report at length through spokesman Erich Pratt. Professor Hoekstra then defended his work to Salon.

Here are a few representative quotes from each. The full responses can be viewed here.